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Daily The Nation: Chaudhrys support Tahirul Qadri’s reform agenda

LAHORE - Following Sunday’s announcement by the MQM to support the long march
of Dr Tahirul Qadri, the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party on Monday was jolted again
when another coalition partner, the PML-Q, also extended its support to Minhajul
Quran chief’s reform agenda. Five senior most PML-Q leaders, Ch Shujaat Hussain,
Ch Pervaiz Elahi, Mushahid Hussain Syed, Moonis Elahi and Tariq Bashir Cheema went
to Model Town residence of Dr Qadri late Monday night only to assure him that their
party supported his agenda of electoral reforms.

“Dr Qadri has launched a movement against corruption, rigging in elections and
tyranny. And these are the very issues for which we had been raising our voice quite
often. We, therefore, extend our full support to the Minhajul Quran chief as his
agenda is in conformity with ours,” the PML-Q leaders told media representatives
after the meeting in the presence of Dr Qadri who said they had come to congratulate
him on the successful public rally of December 23. The two sides reportedly chose
to brief the media in the middle of their meeting which continued till late in the
night.

Pervaiz Elahi said Dr Qadri’s mission to reform the electoral system was very
important. “This would strengthen democracy,” he remarked, adding they had always
been in touch with Qadri even when he was abroad to seek his guidance on different
issues. He also congratulated Dr Qadri for raising his voice on electoral reforms.
“We feel enlightened after listening to his reform agenda,” he observed.

Ch Shujaat said his party would support Dr Qadri on his agenda of electoral reforms
regardless of whether or not they were in the government or in opposition. “I have
already written to the Election Commission regarding rigging in the recently held
by-polls,” he said, adding the PML-N did massive rigging during the by-elections,
but ECP failed to stop government machinery from doing so.

As the political analysts got involved in speculations regarding the meeting,
the insiders however insisted that PML-Q leaders did not give any assurance to Dr
Qadri for participation in January 14th long march. They also divulged that PML-Q
team arrived at Model Town residence of Dr Qadri on latter’s invitation who wanted
to consult them on his reform agenda. The Chaudhry cousins avoided a question regarding
PML-Q’s participation in the long march.